A new Australian e-flight company is integrating FlyNow aircraft into its cargo and passenger services
Electric air taxi infrastructure startup Skyportz has announced the creation of Wilbur Air, a wholly-owned subsidiary that will operate electric and hybrid aircraft from its network of vertical airports across Australia. Wilbur Air will have priority access to Skyportz Vertiport sites, which are scheduled to be developed nationwide.
Wilbur Air plans to leverage a range of aircraft partners to support various services, including heavy-lift drone deliveries and short- and long-haul passenger travel. The airline’s first aircraft partnership was with Electra.Aero.
Wilbur Air and FlyNow today announced a new partnership to bring up to one hundred FlyNow aircraft to the Australian market. “We are very excited about the potential of the FlyNow aircraft as a starter for our automated freight services and business-to-business transportation,” said CEO Clem Newton-Brown. “Many of our partners at Skyportz vertiport are industrial property owners looking for heavy drone freight solutions.”
Newton-Brown emphasized the strategic approach to this partnership, saying: “Creating a B2B cargo service will enable us to prove the concept and operational safety in partnership with FlyNow, before we move to passenger applications.”
Jurgen Grill, CEO of FlyNow, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, saying: “We are delighted to announce a pioneering collaboration that will take urban transport to new heights in Australia, integrating cutting-edge FlyNow eCopters into a large-scale 3D mobility network. FlyNow brings to the table our cutting-edge eCopters And ultra-quiet, setting a new standard in environmentally friendly, cost-effective and efficient urban transportation. Together, we’re not just connecting the dots on a map; we’re creating a seamless ride that’s as breathtaking as the innovation behind it.”
Skyportz has focused on developing advanced air mobility infrastructure in Australia over the past five years. Its goal is to decouple aviation from traditional airports, allowing property owners to revitalize their sites with vertical airports.
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Miriam McNab is Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional marketplace for drone services, and an interested observer of the emerging drone industry and the drone regulatory environment. Miriam has written over 3,000 articles focusing on the field of commercial drones, and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam holds a degree from the University of Chicago and has over 20 years of experience in high-tech sales and marketing of new technologies.
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